Grade 8 Word of the Day

Benevolent adjective — Well meaning and kindly.

Collateral noun — Additional but subordinate: secondary.

Effrontery noun — Insolent or impertinent behavior.

Euphemism noun — A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.

Evanescent adjective — Quickly fading or disappearing.

Guarantee noun — A formal assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled, especially that a product will be repaired or replaced if not of a specified quality.

Incendiary adjective — Inflammatory, spontaneously combustible, hot.

Abactinal adjective — Relating to the underside or lower surface of a sea urchin.

Correlate verb — Establish a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.

Exculpate verb — To show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing.

Forthcoming adjective — Planned for or about to happen in the near future: imminent.

Ineffable adjective — Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Integrate verb — Combine (one thing) with another so that they become a whole.

Mellifluous adjective — (of a voice or words) Sweet or musical: pleasant to hear.

Summarize verb — To give a brief statement of the main points of something.

Vindicate verb — To clear of blame or suspicion: to justify or prove right.

Cachinnate verb — To laugh loudly or immoderately. (Immoderately: without moderation; in an immoderate manner.)

Cognizance noun — Knowledge or awareness of something.

Diligently adjective — With great care and perseverance.

Foreshadow verb — To indicate or suggest beforehand.

Hypothesis noun — Tentative explanation for a phenomenon. (Tentative: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon.)

Masquerade noun — A false show or pretense.

Ubiquitous adjective — Present, appearing, or found everywhere.

Authority noun — The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

Chicanery noun — The use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose.

Coagulate verb — To change from a liquid to a semi solid state: to clot.

Composure noun — The state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself.

Corporate adjective — Of or relating to a corporation, especially a large company or group.

Debutante noun — A young upper class woman making her first appearance in fashionable society.

Institute noun — Set in motion or establish (something, especially a program, system, or inquiry).

Panegyric noun — A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.

Ideology noun — A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Accentuate verb — To emphasize or give prominence to.

Accessible adjective — Able to be reached or entered.

Acrostical adjective — Pertaining to or forming an acrostic. (Acrostic: a puzzle where you fill a square grid with words reading the same down as across.)

Constitute verb — Be (a part) of a whole.

Implacable adjective — Unable to be appeased or placated.

Serpentine adjective — Snake like, winding, tempting or wily.

Arbitrary adjective — Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

Determine verb — To ascertain or establish exactly, typically as a result of research or calculation.

Incidence noun — The occurrence, rate, or frequency of a disease, crime, or other undesirable thing.

Inference noun — Process of deriving logical conclusions from premises known or assumed to be true.

Venerable adjective — Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character.

Xanthophyll noun — A yellow pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants and essential for photosynthesis.

Allegory noun — A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Parasite noun — An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other's expense.

Peccadillo noun — A small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.

Resilience noun — The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

Complaisant adjective — Willing to please others or to accept what they do or say without protest.

Credulity noun — A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.

Desiccate verb — To remove the moisture from (something, especially food), typically in order to preserve it.

Expurgate verb — To remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a book or account).

Concomitant adjective — Accompanying.

Appreciate verb — To recognize the value or significance of something.

Iconoclast noun — A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.

Paraphrase verb — Express the meaning of something using different words.

Vulnerable adjective — Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm.

Diplomacy noun — The profession, activity, or skill of managing international relations, typically by a country's representatives abroad.

Libertine noun — A person, especially a man, who behaves without moral principles or a sense of responsibility.

Xenophile noun — A person who is attracted to or has an affinity for foreign cultures or customs.

Pulchritude noun — Physical beauty.

Yarborough noun — A hand in bridge or whist containing no card above a nine: a hand in card games with no high ranking cards.

Adaptation noun — The action or process of adapting or being adapted.

Aerophobia noun — Fear of flying or fear of travel by air.

Apocryphal adjective — Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

Disheveled adjective — (Of a person's hair, clothes, or appearance) untidy: disordered.

Meticulous adjective — Showing great attention to detail: very careful and precise.

Pathogenic adjective — (Of a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism) causing disease.

Profligate adjective — Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.

Synthesize verb — Combine different ideas to form a theory or system.

Variegated adjective — Exhibiting different colors, especially as irregular patches or streaks.

Xenization noun — The act of making strangers or foreigners feel welcome.

Xenophobia noun — Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

Animistic adjective — Relating to animism, the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a spirit or soul.

Byzantine adjective — (Of a system or situation) excessively complicated and typically involving a great deal of administrative detail.

Community noun — A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

Compunction noun — A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad.

Intervene verb — Take part in something so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events.

Approbation noun — Approval or praise.

Belligerent adjective — Hostile and aggressive.

Furthermore adverb — In addition: besides.

Imprecation noun — A spoken curse.

Legislation noun — Laws, considered collectively. (Collectively: in conjunction with; combined.)

Accomplice noun — A person who helps another commit a crime or wrongdoing.

Accubation noun — The act of reclining or lying down, especially for meals.

Cumbersome adjective — Large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use.

Governance noun — The action or manner of governing a state, organization, etc.

Identified adjective — Establish or indicate who or what (someone or something) is.

Ostensible adjective — Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so.

Vindictive adjective — Having or showing a strong or unreasoning desire for revenge.

Analogous adjective — Comparable in certain respects, typically in a way that makes clearer the nature of the things compared.

Monopsony noun — A market situation in which there is only one buyer of a particular product, service, or resource.

Callipygian adjective — Having well shaped buttocks.

Efficacious adjective — Producing a desired effect.

Machination noun — A plot or scheme.

Abnegation noun — The act of renouncing or rejecting something: self denial or refusal.

Aggrandize verb — To increase the power, status, or wealth of someone or something.

Compatible adjective — (Of two things) Able to exist or occur together without conflict.

Conjecture noun — An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information.

Illustrate verb — Explain or make (something) clear by using examples, charts, pictures, etc.

Presumptuous adjective — Failing to observe the limits of what is appropriate or polite.

Voluminous adjective — Occupying or containing much space: large in volume, size, or extent.

Commodity noun — A raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee.

Dichotomy noun — A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Objective noun — (Of a person or their judgment) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

Xerophyte noun — A plant adapted to survive in dry or desert like conditions: a plant with specialized water conserving features.

Clandestine adjective — Kept secret or done secretively.

Flumadiddle noun — Nonsense, foolish talk or ideas.

Impecunious adjective — Having little or no money.

Compensate verb — Give (someone) something, typically money, in recognition of loss, suffering, or injury.

Contribute verb — Give (something, especially money) in order to help achieve or provide something.

Proclivity noun — A tendency to choose or do something regularly: an inclination or predisposition.

Obstinate adjective — Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.

Xylophone noun — A musical instrument consisting of a series of wooden bars of different lengths that are struck to produce tones.

Appropriate verb — Suitable or proper in the circumstances.

Controversy noun — Prolonged public disagreement or heated discussion.

Intractable adjective — Hard to control or deal with.

Reluctantly adjective — In an unwilling and hesitant way.

Convoluted adjective — (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) Extremely complex and difficult to follow.

Innovation noun — The action or process of innovating, i.e., creating new ideas, methods, or products.

Cartography noun — The science or practice of drawing maps.

Eliminate verb — Completely remove or get rid of (something).

Predominant adjective — Present as the strongest or main element.

Generation noun — All of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.

Ingratiate verb — To bring oneself into favor with someone by flattering or trying to please them.

Vociferous adjective — Loud, noisy, or vehement in making one's feelings or opinions heard: clamorous or outspoken.

Xerography noun — A process of photocopying or reproducing images using electrostatic charges on a special surface.

Plurality noun — The number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

Ruminative adjective — Contemplative. (Contemplative: deeply or seriously thoughtful.)

Acknowledge verb — Accept or admit the existence or truth of.

Crepuscular adjective — Of, resembling, or relating to twilight: dim, indistinct.

Demonstrate verb — Show or prove something through evidence or example.

Elaborate adjective — Develop or expand upon an idea or concept.

Nonetheless adjective — In spite of that: notwithstanding: all the same.

Demagogue noun — A political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument.

Inveterate adjective — Habitual, persistent.

Parameter noun — A numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation.

Parsimonious adjective — Frugal, restrained.

Acrimonious adjective — (Typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter.

Enumerate verb — To mention (a number of things) one by one.

Fundamental adjective — Basic and essential: forming a necessary base or core.

Homogeneous adjective — Of the same or a similar kind or nature.

Legerdemain noun — Skillful use of one's hands when performing conjuring tricks.

Misanthrope noun — A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Numismatics noun — The study or collection of coins, banknotes, and medals.

Obfuscation noun — The action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible.

Perfunctory adjective — Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.

Xerophilous adjective — Thriving in a dry environment: adapted to arid conditions.

Definition noun — A statement of the exact meaning of a word or the nature or scope of something.

Equivalent adjective — Equal in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.: having the same rights or property as something else.

Yaffingale noun — An obsolete term for a loud, raucous or boisterous person or thing: a noisy, garrulous individual.

Conscientious adjective — Wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly.

Significant adjective — Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention: noteworthy.

Efficiency noun — The state or quality of being efficient, i.e., achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

Propitiate verb — Win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.

Inevitable adjective — Certain to happen: unavoidable.

Pejorative noun — Expressing contempt or disapproval.

Forbearance noun — Patient self control: restraint and tolerance in the face of provocation.

Vicariously adjective — Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another.

Jeopardize verb — Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.

Philosophy noun — The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

Xylography noun — The art or practice of engraving or printing on wood: the process of making woodcuts or wood engravings.

Debilitate verb — Make (someone) weak and infirm.

Inexorable adjective — Impossible to stop or prevent.

Complacency noun — A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

Concentrate verb — Focus one's attention or mental effort on a particular object or activity.

Coordinate verb — Bring the different elements of (a complex activity or organization) into a relationship that will ensure efficiency or harmony.

Peremptory adjective — (especially of a person's manner or actions) Insisting on immediate attention or obedience, especially in a brusquely imperious way.

Philistine noun — A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them.

Anticipate verb — Regard as probable: expect or predict.

Calisthenics noun — Gymnastic exercises to achieve bodily fitness.

Doctrinaire adjective — Seeking to impose a doctrine in all circumstances without regard to practical considerations.

Interregnum noun — A period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes.

Perspective noun — A particular attitude towards or way of regarding something: a point of view.

Dissonance noun — Lack of harmony among musical notes: a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements.

Phenomenon noun — A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.

Ambidextrous adjective — Able to use both hands equally well.

Ameliorate verb — To make something better or improve it.

Defamatory adjective — Damaging the good reputation of someone: slanderous.

Environment noun — The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Established adjective — Having been in existence for a long time and therefore recognized and generally accepted.

Magnanimous adjective — Very generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself.

Distribute verb — Give shares of (something): deal out: give a share or a unit of (something) to each of a number of recipients.

Analytical adjective — Relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning.

Insurrection noun — A violent uprising against an authority or government.

Multifarious adjective — Many and of various types: having great variety.

Nevertheless adjective — In spite of that: notwithstanding: all the same.

Partisanship noun — Prejudice in favor of a particular cause: bias.

Preposterous adjective — Contrary to reason or common sense: utterly absurd.

Anachronism noun — A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists.

Malediction noun — A magical word or phrase uttered with the intention of bringing about evil or destruction.

Ostentation noun — Pretentious and vulgar display, especially of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice.

Franchise noun — A type of license that a party (franchisee) acquires to allow them to have access to a business's (franchisor) proprietary knowledge, processes, and trademarks in order to allow the party to sell a product or provide a service under the business's name.

Precipitate verb — Steep, speedy.

Rebarbative adjective — Irritating, repellent.

Arbitrage noun — The simultaneous buying and selling of securities, currency, or commodities in different markets or in derivative forms in order to take advantage of differing prices for the same asset.

Facilitate verb — To make an action or process easier or smoother. (Smoother: a power tool used for sanding wood; an endless loop of sandpaper is moved at high speed by an electric motor.)

Recalcitrant adjective — Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude towards authority or discipline.

Vituperate verb — Blame or insult (someone) in strong or violent language.

Accumulate verb — Gather together or acquire an increasing number or quantity of.

Adulterate verb — To make something poorer in quality by adding another substance.

Amalgamate verb — To combine or unite to form one organization or structure.

Articulate adjective — Having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.

Capitulate verb — Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand: surrender.

Exacerbate verb — To make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Initiative noun — A plan or strategy designed to achieve a particular aim.

Pathology noun — The science of the causes and effects of diseases, especially the branch of medicine that deals with the laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes.

Pertinacious adjective — Holding firmly to an opinion or a course of action.

Transparency noun — The quality of being easily seen through, detected, or understood.

Commentator noun — A person who comments on events or on a text, especially as a political analyst or sportscaster.

Exonerate verb — To absolve (someone) from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case.

Oligopoly noun — A market structure in which a small number of firms has the large majority of market share.

Participate verb — Take part: engage in.

Subsidiary noun — A company controlled by a holding company, also known as a parent or umbrella company, which holds a majority of the subsidiary's voting stock.

Unequivocal adjective — Leaving no doubt: unambiguous.

Distribution noun — The action of sharing something out among a number of recipients.

Protagonist noun — The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

Hypothesize verb — Formulate a hypothesis or conjecture.

Indubitable adjective — Impossible to doubt or question.

Proliferate verb — Increase rapidly in number: multiply.

Unabashedly adjective — Not embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed. (Disconcerted: having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion.)

Adjudicate verb — Make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter.

Manipulate verb — Handle or control (a tool, mechanism, etc.), typically in a skillful manner.

Antagonize verb — To cause someone to become hostile or angry by behaving rudely or aggressively.

Circumstance noun — A fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.

Accommodate verb — To provide lodging or sufficient space for.

Communicate verb — Share or exchange information, news, or ideas.

Incarnadine adjective — A bright crimson or pinkish red color.

Prevaricate verb — Speak or act in an evasive way.

Equivocate verb — To use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

Practitioner noun — A person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession, especially medicine or law.

Syncopation noun — A displacement of the beat or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.

Grandiloquent adjective — Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner.

Consternation noun — Feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

Peregrinate verb — To travel or wander around from place to place.

Perspicacious adjective — Having a ready insight into and understanding of things.

Constituency noun — A body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

Abecedarian noun — A person who is learning the alphabet or the basics.

Approximate adjective — Close to the actual, but not completely accurate or exact.

Confrontation noun — A hostile or argumentative meeting or situation between opposing parties.

Incorporate verb — Take in or contain (something) as part of a whole.

Discriminate verb — Recognize a distinction: differentiate.

Alternative noun — (Of one or more things) available as another possibility or choice.

Ambivalence noun — The state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something.

Corroborate verb — To confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

Investiture noun — The action of formally investing a person with honors or rank.

Volubility noun — The quality or state of being fluent, talkative, or garrulous: the ability to speak easily and at length.

Ablutophobia noun — Fear of bathing or washing.

Yellow-bellied adjective — Cowardly: lacking courage or determination.

Conflagration noun — An extensive fire that destroys a great deal of land or property.

Controversial adjective — Giving rise or likely to give rise to controversy or public disagreement.

Megalomania noun — Obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others.

Serendipity noun — The occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Philanthropy noun — The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.

Considerable adjective — Of great importance, size, or worth.

Vicissitude noun — A change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

Commensurate adjective — Corresponding in size or degree: in proportion.

Conciliatory adjective — Intended or likely to placate or pacify.

Contemporary adjective — Living or occurring at the same time.

Derivative noun — A financial contract whose value is derived from the performance of underlying market factors, such as assets, indices, or interest rates.

Xenogenesis noun — The production of offspring that are markedly different from either parent species due to hybridization.

Rhadamanthine adjective — Harshly strict.

Amalgamation noun — The action, process, or result of combining or uniting.

Intelligence noun — The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.

Intermediate adjective — Coming between two things in time, place, character, etc.

Peripatetic adjective — Traveling from place to place, especially working or based in various places for relatively short periods.

Xerophthalmia noun — Abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye, with inflammation and thickening of the conjunctiva. (Dryness: the condition of not containing or being covered by a liquid.)

Notwithstanding adjective — In spite of, despite.

Investigate verb — Carry out a systematic or formal inquiry to discover and examine the facts of (an incident, allegation, etc.).

Heterogeneous adjective — Diverse in character or content.

Idiosyncrasy noun — A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.

Quintessential adjective — Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class.

Vociferously adjective — In a loud, clamorous, or vehement manner: with noisy insistence or outcry. (Clamorous: conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry.)

Contextualize verb — Place something in its appropriate context.

Onomatopoeia noun — The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Imperturbable adjective — Unable to be upset or excited: calm.

Foreshadowing noun — A warning or indication of a future event.

Platitudinous adjective — Resembling or full of dull or banal comments.

Pusillanimous adjective — Showing a lack of courage or determination: timid.

Interlocution noun — A conversation or dialogue between two or more people.

Differentiate verb — To recognize or ascertain what makes (someone or something) different.

Intransigence noun — Unwillingness to change one's views or to agree about something.

Unconscionable adjective — Not right or reasonable.

Collaboration noun — The action of working with someone to produce or create something.

Sesquipedalian adjective — Given to using long words.

Villanelle noun — A nineteen line poem with two rhymes throughout, consisting of five tercets and a quatrain, with the first and third lines of the opening tercet recurring alternately at the end of the other tercets and with both repeated at the close of the concluding quatrain.

Vituperative adjective — Bitter and abusive in speech.

Comprehensive adjective — Including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something.

Juxtaposition noun — The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Recrudescence noun — The recurrence of an undesirable condition: the revival of an unpleasant situation or feeling.

Interpretation noun — The action of explaining the meaning of something.

Adaptability noun — The quality of being able to adjust to new conditions.

Administration noun — The process or activity of running a business, organization, etc.

Constitutional adjective — Relating to an established set of principles governing a state.

Authoritative adjective — Commanding and self confident: likely to be respected and obeyed.

Circumlocution noun — The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

Discombobulate verb — To confuse or disconcert: upset or frustrate. (Disconcert: cause to feel embarrassment.)

Infrastructure noun — The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Accountability noun — The fact or condition of being accountable, responsible, or answerable.

Sustainability noun — The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Diversification noun — The action of making or becoming more diverse or varied.

Commoditization noun — The process by which goods or services become relatively indistinguishable from similar products or services in the market, leading to reduced pricing power and profitability.

Xenodocheionology noun — The practice of staying in hotels: the study of hotel management or hospitality.